Struggling through the Blanks
by Romeyer
Summary: Sequel to Naruto: The Gift... Being the unfortunate one to have the honor of participating in the battlefield of Time and Magic, Naruto has no choice but to protect the value of his life and Kurama's. To rise against the mighty and to achieve his peace of mind, he'll have to know what he needs to win.


"I still have no idea what I'm doing."

Says a blond boy with no shirt seated on the Hokage Monument, the most distinctive memorial of The Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto feels somewhat loosen at nice view of the old and nostalgic Konohagakure. "Sorry about the mess I made last time, dad."

From an independant commander to a kid, 18 years span is a large scale of time and it has been troubling the hell out of him. Having no good memories of the place is one thing, he did not want to add this disruptive childlife into the mess. Right now it's everyone's lunchtime and he needs to stop thinking about this time travelling mystery. With the appetite returned, the boy goes back to his lunchbox packed from the Academy. To feel the gentle breeze and the warm sunlight going through his bare skin when tasting the bites has became one of his favorite eating habits whenever he is by himself.

After much struggling with the flow of time as well as his newly given chakra patern, Naruto can't still figure anything out of this gaudy shamble. For what's making him so out of control unlike his usual self, it's all about this boy. His autonomic nervous system as this child is foreign and obtuse, or just simply too pathetic and it's showing no signs of improving. If he were to suffer a direct Jonin attack, he would be devastated.

To think he nearly broke his back after many attempts to perform the legendarily easy Cloning Technique in that 3rd exam and felt the awkward silence around him, FUCKING SHAMEFUL! He has to wonder how Orochimaru did it with another vessel so well.

Idiotic, simple-minded, loud mouthed,...pretty much his traits but looking for attention, befriending a Chunin, failing the exam 3 times with the same mistake? Well, he did wish to be a Hokage but this Natuto seemed to take things far more hardcore than him, lots more. Same mindset yet different actions, this lad could have made a good friend had he'd met him back then.

"Wonder where have you gone...What happened to your shirt, Naruto?"

It's the sound of his favorite instructer melting the Naruto's loneliness or so he would say, calling from below. "Eh!? I see you're enjoying your meal quite early today."

"Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Hhh? Uhh yeah." For his usual hyper student to act so...casually, the Chunin finds it somewhat difficult to talk to him. "I thought maybe I could treat you a special bowl for finally passing the exam so. Well?"

Naruto never met the guy in his previous life but he is nothing but peaceful and heartwarming. He wonders if the boy held anything special to Iruka Umino, no doubt it took the poor dude a lot to reach out and care for a rejected brat while the others are not so pleasant. It might also be one of the reasons why this orange wearing Naruto has gone soft and neglected his own self-respect to get the man's attention, flunking himself...and that is quite an achievement. He could not hope to hold up to that happy standard.

Placing both chopsticks into the empty spot of his lunch and throwing his garment on, Naruto drops down and bows to Iruka in the traditional Shinobi way to show deep respect to the highest ranked superior, an act that will pass on as the salute to the commander in the future. His presentation is sudden and out of character for the guy who is near to having a stroke with his favorite student freaking him out. But this is how Naruto expresses himself to the others, and that's also how he is going to stay true to himself from now on.

"Sensei. I-"

"NARUTO! Just what are you planning this time!?" The immediate respond makes his brows travel down to the eyes level as his laughter cannot be held back anymore.

"Heh heh.. Sensei, I want to thank you for all the time you've spent with me." Saying with the biggest smile he could mutter, the blond stands firm before him. "Had it not been for you, I would never know how sacred a bond could become. The strength, the characters, everything I got today is thanks to you."

"Uhh...Naruto-kun?"

"I know. Gaudy words are not our type." With a light sigh, Naruto brushes off his speech. "I'll take my privileged right to pay this time. The least I could do for you, sensei. "

' **Hey retard! Did you forget what is important right now?** ' A gentle being takes hold of his thought and it is none than his guardian angel, Kurama the Almighty Ninetails Fox. **'You're supposed to feed my bitch, not this jackass.** '

'For the last time, be quiet...We're heading for the market. And besides, I haven't tried giving her noodles yet, maybe she'll like it.'

' **Bro...** '

* * *

Iruka Umino has no problem being the end receiving gratitude, in fact he wouldn't even see it happening to him. It's actually giving him quite the spook right now. Ichiraku Ramen, stood before Konoha's gate, the place he and Naruto have been many times, yet today holds some sort of adventurous feeling. He is going to be the one getting the treat.

'Just what has gotten into him? Naruto...'

His thought keeps up with his view as the boy calls for 2 special bowls with not as much enthusiasm as usual. The blond would jump up and down in his seat with joy and drool over his favorite meal, not look like a total Mr. Nice guy whom a shinobi is not supposed to get near.

"Yes, be right- Naruto-kun!?" Teuchi, the owner of the ramen stand, shares his own confusion upon realising the strange tone of his favorite customer. Normally he'd have a blasting to his ears by a single line from him. "For a second I thought you were someone else there."

Naruto didn't have much to do with this foodstall other than stuffing himself after mission sometimes. Ramen is not exactly his favorite but the noodles here was one hell of a trip to enjoy. He used to be considered their regular but not for long before he gave up on it to appreciate some spaghetti from the foreiners. Relationship problem, he had to do it.

Judging by his remark, look like the hardcore Naruto is truly always the regular here.

"I passed the exam, Teuchi-san." Pointing to his forehead, Naruto voices his achievement. "For the 3rd time, I actually got to be a Genin. "

...

"Hah hah hah, good job!" He lets out a satisfying laughter, distorting any gloomy feeling from those two. "I know you had it in you, Naruto-kun! How well did it go, Iruka-san?"

"Huh? Oh..." The Chunin turns his glance away from his student, fondling over to the relish case while speaking. "He had problem with his Cloning like usual but fortunately managed to make a perfect one at the last second. Nearly flunked the entire test again if I must say. And, Naruto-kun?"

"Yes?"

"This morning you didn't look so good. Did you eat your breakfast before going to the exam?" He hands him a jar of soy before asking. For what's important, Naruto is still a brother to him and he could never turn an eye away.

"Uhh, yeah I had biscuits. Does that count, sensei?" The last bit of The Division's ration is still visible to his taste, he could never get enough of those these days.

"Cracker, huh? Since when did you have a thing for sweets?"

"Didn't I?"

"Yeah, I saw everyone snatching candies and snacks into classes. I'm surprise you didn't bring a bite with you. You're a picky eater too, only ramen that fits you. What happened, Naruto?"

"..." Stopping to think of a answer, Naruto says. "I was the same as you, sensei."

"Huh?"

"I've never tried to judge myself cuz I find it hard to do and I was scared that I might change for the worse with everyone picking on me. And because of that, I could only see you as the only image I could base myself on. That is, until today."

The boy leans against the counter and looks away from his friend, speaking as if he was alone in his own world. Man! Where is the cigarette when he needs one? Thank goodness that this is lunch time and no one is bothered to eat ramen at this hour, else he wouldn't know what they will think of him.

"..."

"It was very selfish of me to rely on you. I'm sorry."

It is the stupid truth. Naruto hardly ever had someone he could call a friend in previous years, he was infamous for always getting into fights and causing damage to the public. Had it not been for the glimse of moral he got from those scared looks of the people he inflicted his rage on, Kyuubi would have broken the seal and ended his entire being along with the Leaf Village. More or less, the path of the Ninja is what has given him a figure to look up to. And he's very thankful for that.

' **Is it the time for a tragic backstory?** ' Kyuubi zipped in. ' **When I was 11 years old, my mom-** '

'What is it, Kyuubi?' Naruto sighes in annoyance. 'Does Sumie have anything for this type of food?'

' **Yeah, bitch got quite a mouth for those things. Want me to show her?** '

'Go on.'

The bitch in question being the one who is responsible for time warping him into different places and different time with super sonic speed is none other than the remnant of the three Zadiac fairies he got since the incident back at his base. With Red and Blue gone, only Purple remained. Naruto has decided to go with the name Kurama gave her, Sumie, due to the flashy color and the sharp toned physical appearance of hers.

"These are on the house today! 2 special pork ramen." Sucking up all the awkward silence, Teuchi sways their attention towards 2 large bowls full of soft pork and fresh veggies dipped in delicious soup. "Eat up!"

"Well sensei, shall we?" As if that emotional speech never existed, Naruto starts wiping a pair of chopsticks with clean paper before holding them in front of Iruka, gesturing him to take it and start first.

"...Thank you, Naruto-kun."

This place has always been the pact between them, bringing the troublemaking duo together. To see the end of the green, Iruka finds it hard to contain his feeling. The bowl in front of him, the more inviting it looks, the harder it hits him of how much the spikey blond haired boy beside him has grown. Ohwww! The feel! It's happening!

"Excuse me."

* * *

That voice, the feminine timbre awakes the hearts of two male adults with one being inside a child body, pulls both the Shinobi to stop their strings of emotion to fix their eyes at the glamorous figure in black.

'Orochimaru!?' Naruto stoops to his bowl after seeing her unique colored skin. 'What's going on in here? Kyuubi!'

' **Yes bitch?** '

'See anything in her?' Asks Naruto. If that woman has the same Zadiac fairy as his comrade, he can confirm it.

 **'Hmm...Big tits, natural body, clean shaven-** '

'Please...It's no time for jokes.'

' **Give me a break! I can't scan her and feed this little fucker at the same time.** ' Kyuubi roars. **'And what the fuck are you doing?! Continue slurping that shit before anyone can notice us, quick!** '

With that outburst, Naruto continues to spend his meal along with Sumie who is flying around inside the ramen bowl to chew a line of noodle, leaving Iruka and Teuchi to marvel at her beauty while perking his ears to hear what's up.

"Huh?" Something soft and warm sets on his right shoulder, Naruto could only dare to glance.

What he meets is her, the beauty she appears to him is beyond his comprehend. Her amber eyes soften as she sees his glance back. The feel of her bare skin lingering on his shoulder gives him a fleeting pleasure. Such thin, delicate fingers. Her pat may seem playful to her but to Naruto, it's nothing but stimulating, so much that it's literally grinding him to a halt. What is with this witty lady?

"Did any of you happen to see a grey cat wearing a red collar around here? He's my pet, Zadiac." What a tone for such a charming woman, but who mind such tiny detail anyway?

An obnoxious orange lover however, does.

"I saw it walking towards the eastern trail to the forest outside the gate. It made a pretty good track from there. Browsing somewhere and you might hear it."

At the end, he flips his palm to her. People might see it as a simple expression, but he is actually marking all his sentence into a command. Go there, leave your trace and make a signal when the time is right to meet up. The Division holds a code in espionage, anyone by his trade should notice this.

"Thank you."

A non-visible smile going with double blinking is the answer to his retuctant order. With nothing else in mind, the girl turns away from them to attract more attention from a few citizens who have too much time on their hand to go strolling at noon.

"Let's eat before it cools down, sensei."

"..."

"..."

 **End of Chapter note: I try to add some fancy words as my vocabulary is clearly lacking. If you find it weird, let me know.**


End file.
